I am setting out for a trip to Asia today! Ultimately, I will end up in Japan to meet up with Lebron and Antetokounmpo but before I get there I will spend some time in South East Asia. My first stop will be Laos. But in order to get there I have a pretty long few days of flying. It starts with a very quick hop from Vancouver to Seattle to overnight before an early morning flight to LA. I stay at the airport hotel, grab a quick bite and try to catch some rest quickly since it’ll be a very early wake up!
LAX
After not a very long or restful sleep, I am up again and back in the airport ready to catch another short flight down to Los Angeles. My aim is to catch another few winks of sleep on this flight which is made even easier by way of having no one else in my row, score! It’s a straight shot down to LA and while I do manage an hour or so it is short lived.
LAX Polaris Lounge and Star Alliance Lounge
After arriving in LAX, I have a few hours to kill before boarding my flight across the Pacific. My United flight lands in LAX terminal 7 and my outbound Singapore flight is in Terminal B. Those of you who know LAX know its a bit of a trek. So I take my time and avail myself of the United Polaris lounge in Terminal 7. It’s a bit crowded so I end up getting a some breakfast before heading over to the Star Alliance lounge in Terminal B. The Star Alliance is roomier and even has a cool outdoor patio that allows you to have a drink and do a bit of plane spotting if you so choose!
Singapore Airlines SQ 11 (Part 1) LA to Narita to Singapore
Soon it’s time to board my flight to Singapore? But first it needs to make a very quick stop in Narita. Let me explain. This is a bit of a “funky” flight, it’s marketed as a “direct” flight to Singapore. However, it’s not a “non stop” flight to Singapore as it makes a very brief stop in Narita to refuel and change crew while maintaining the same flight number. There are direct flights between the two cities, but this one is an interesting one, so I “obviously” had to get myself on it!
After leaving the lounge, I head to the gate to board my flight bound for Narita. One of the great things about Singapore Airlines is their onboard service, and this flight is no exception. From start to finish the staff are friendly and professional! I’m able to partake in some delicious meals, catch some shut eye on the eleven hour flight to Japan. Mid flight I get an opportunity to pop into the galley and chat with a few of the crew which isn’t something I often get to do. But It’s nice to hear about life in the aviation industry and some of the things the crew get up to when not flying!
Singapore Airlines Narita to Singapore
Even though I am on the onward journey to Singapore, everyone needs to disembark the aircraft upon landing in Narita. On the Jetway there is a sign that directs passengers to either head back into the terminal (if you are flying onward to Singapore) or towards immigration if Japan is your final stop. I head back into the terminal, where there is another sign that tells me to be back at this same gate in an hour. It’s not a lot of time, so I wander around Narita for a little bit. I pop into a lounge to grab a beverage and then head back to the gate to reboard the flight bound for Singapore.
Another reason to choose this flight vs a nonstop flight is the opportunity to try the Hanakoireki meal. This is only served on Singapore Airline’s flights that fly from Japan. So a unique meal and a unique flight seems right up my alley!
The meal is immensely delicious and I’m glad I did it. However, at this point the broken sleep is starting to catch up to me. So after the meal service, I conk out pretty soon after for the rest of the flight. And Before I know it we are touching down in Singapore
Singapore Layover
I don’t have plans to enter Singapore this time around (though I’d love to!) as I have a morning flight to Thailand. We land at roughly 1AM and my plan is to tuck into one of the many lounges the airport has to offer. Thankfully, my plane ticket gets me into the SilverKris lounge where I make my home for the next few hours. I grab myself a much needed shower, a little bit of food and find a comfortable couch. I rest for a few hours before continuing my onward journey to Laos, just two more flights to go!
Thai Airways Singapore to Bangkok then to Vientiane, Laos
After a short rest, I head to my next gate ready to board my flight to Bangkok. This time on Thai Airways. It’s a short two hour hop but I’m still surprised they perform a full cabin service! In fact, I even get a chance to drop the seat into bed mode for an hour of sleep. At this point any bit of sleep is valuable given how much time I’ve been in transit!
Upon landing in Bangkok, I have a self connection to make. Normally it’s not super easy to do this in Bangkok as you need to clear immigration and re-check in. But thankfully, I’m able to get to a connection desk to get my boarding passes printed and have everything sorted out. Though there is a bit of a hectic story to tell which I’ll save for the wrap up of this trip!
I make my way to the new satellite terminal of the airport and board my final flight to Vientiane, Laos! Thankfully this is a very short one hour flight. However, I’m still very amazed that the crew managed to get a full meal service in. It actually really puts North American carriers to shame that a one hour economy flight not only serves a full meal service but can do so efficiently in an hour without issue. Colour me impressed!
Patuxay in Vientiane, Laos
After about two full days of travel, I finally land in Laos! I originally didn’t plan to visit Laos at all. But on a whim, I decide to drop by briefly just to see what it’s like for two reasons. 1. If I never make it here again, at least I can say I’ve been. And 2. If I really like it, I can make it a point to visit again in the future.
So I quickly check into my hotel, and hop over to Patuxay Park in the middle of the city. This park houses the Putaxy war monument and seems to be a popular tourist destination along with a gathering spot for locals in the evening. This monument is built by concrete that was given to Laos by the Americans ear marked for a new airport, which I think is kind of funny. I get “arc de triomphe” vibes from it given how so many roads lead to it. And there is a big traffic circle that runs around the park. Overall it is a very pretty site and I’m glad to get to check it out, albeit being very crowded with tourists.
Putaxay
If you pay a small entrance fee, you are able to go up to the top. Halfway up, there is a small museum area which goes through the history of Laos and the history of the building itself. I didn’t know very much about Laos before visiting, so it’s cool to read a little about this small nation and it’s interactions within this region. Once at the top, you get arguably one of the best views of Laos’ capital city. You get a 360′ view and because there aren’t too many high rises in Vientiane the view is pretty unobstructed. Add to the fact that its close to sunset and you have the makings for a very picturesque setting.
World Peace Gong
A little further North in the park is a World Peace Gong. To my knowledge there are several of these gongs around the world and they “obviously” symbolize world peace. While I didn’t expect to see it here, I think it’s very cool that it is!
Originally, my plan would have been to visit Putaxay and then head off to visit one or two other sites. But by the time I am ready to move on, it’s already early evening and my multi-day travel is starting to catch up to me. I stroll around the park a little bit more and catch some sunset photos of the monument before heading back to the area around my hotel in search of food.
I end up finding a cool little rooftop bar where I order some noodles and I settle down for a meal. At this point in the evening, I’m really starting to feel it so I quickly scarf down my food and head back to my hotel for a much needed shower and sleep.
Unfortunately, I am headed back to the airport tomorrow and off to Cambodia. I certainly would love more time in Laos. But, I knew the time I did have would never be enough and I really wanted to give myself a taste. I think the verdict is I’d certainly be open to a re-visit! And with that I drift off with an early morning back to Thailand and onward to Siem Reap where I can finally settle for a few days.