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Vientiane’s Gourmet Reputation

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Vientiane – Food Stalls along the Mekong

The Lonely Planet describes eating in Vientiane as “dollar for dollar the best in the world”. After more than two months of eating Asian food, we could not wait to explore this city’s highly praised restaurant scene. Of course, there are always places that offer “international cuisine” or what is thought to be such, namely burgers, spaghettis, pizzas or burritos. BUT these dishes are often prepared far from what you would expect: for instance, pizza made of sweet dough, spaghetti cooked into a mash or tacos that were actually crepes! So our hopes were up high to sample REAL international food at reasonable prices here. Continue Reading →

Vientiane – The Most Quiet And Relaxed Capital

Dragon, Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan, Vientiane

Dragon, Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan, Vientiane

This capital of a nation of almost 6 million people rather reminds of a busy village. Its 300.000 residents enjoy a city without skyscrapers and a few major streets that are ploughed by a couple of brand new pickup trucks and scooters. What a difference to the crazy traffic jam, noise and pollution in other bigger towns in Southeast Asia, not talking about what we experienced in towns large and small in Latin America! Continue Reading →

Caving And Tubing Around Vang Vieng

Tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos

Tubin in Vang Vieng, Laos

Nay, we could not resist the “tubing ritual”, but resourcefully made it part of a day trip that also took us to various caves, and needless to say an ethnic village, which always seems to be part of an itinerary. Of the four caves we visited, Tham Nam, the Water Cave, was the best fun. This cave filled with water reaches far into the mountain and its accessibility depends very much on the water level. Continue Reading →

Vang Vieng – Laos Very Scenic Party Destination

Vang Vieng's Limestone Karsts Landscape, along Nam Song or River Song

Vang Vieng’s Limestone Karsts Landscape, along Nam Song or River Song

Vang Vieng is a small town about four hours north of Vientiane, surrounded by the most amazing landscape. After what we had heard and read about this place, we arrived with a lot of prejudice expecting heavy drinking, loud partying and god knows what. Continue Reading →

Phonsavanh And The “Plain Of Jars”

Plaine of Jars, Site 3, Phonsavanh

Plaine of Jars, Site 3, Phonsavanh

Our favorite so far in Laos, because it is genuine… What a relief after the hyped-up Luang Prabang! Phonsavanh is a quiet little town with a tragic history that is evident at almost every corner. Apart from the mysterious jars scattered around at three different sites, it was the more recent history that captivated us: Xinuang Khoung Province was among those areas in Laos most heavily bombed during the “Secret War” between 1964 and 1973. An incredible 1.36 millions tons of bombs were dropped on the northeast and southeast of the country, making it the most heavily bombed place on this planet. A war on a purely civilian population that officially never happened! Continue Reading →

Luang Prabang

Tourist Mecca & Tourist Rip Off

Royal Palace Museum, Luang Prabang, Laos

Royal Palace Museum, Luang Prabang, Laos

The former royal capital without doubt must have put an irresistible spell on foreigners arriving here 10 to 15 years ago. The lush exotic vegetation, a small city wedged between the Mekong & the tiny Khan River with green hills all around it, this image itself is already idyllic. Now add about 30 “wats” and the countless monks that come with them and you have a very special place.

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Going To Luang Prabang

On the way to 4.000 Islands

On the way to Luang Prabang

There are only 300 kilometers from Luang Nam Tha to Luang Prabang. Nevertheless, even if the Chinese government invested a lot of money to improve the roads in Laos, it took us more than 10 hours on a partly very bumpy, windy mountain road to reach the latter. Not to mention the fact that the bus left with more than one hour delay, with everyone giving us different information about the actual schedule… Continue Reading →

Wedding Party At The Akha Village

Wedding Ceremony in Ban Nam Lai, an Akha Village of 260, Luang Nam Tha National Park

Wedding Ceremony in Ban Nam Lai, an Akha Village of 260, Luang Nam Tha National Park

We reached Ban Nam Lai in the late afternoon and to our surprise found our accommodation to be half a kilometer outside the village, which felt rather uninviting. After a quick wash in the small river, we went over. On the way, we passed a person taking a bath in the river, who told our guide that in the evening, a wedding would be celebrated in this village. We immediately asked if we could join the ceremony and our guide Pet said we were welcome. Continue Reading →

Trekking To A Remote Akha Village

Ban Nam Lai, an Akha Village of 260, Luang Nam Tha National Park

Ban Nam Lai, an Akha Village of 260, Luang Nam Tha National Park

The trek to this remote hamlet of Ban Nam Lai was rather unspectacular, as we were always walking under the thick canopy of the primary rain forest or other types of forest. This protected us from the scorching sun, but on the other hand there was no view for the entire seven hours we hiked. The trail was not particularly difficult, but quite a few parts were very steep and extremely slippery. This required all our concentration, because this was not the place to get injured. Continue Reading →

Ecotourism In Northern Laos

Around Luang Nam Tha

Around Luang Nam Tha

The ecotourism project that started in 1999 in the Luang Nam Tha province has been quite a success story and has been extended to some of the other 20 National Park Areas (N.P.A.). The main goal is to reduce poverty in rural areas, protect the environment and support local culture. The 2007 edition of the Lonely Planet quotes that 75% of Laos is covered with unmanaged vegetation with 25% of this being primary rain forest. This fact, plus the many minorities and diverse wild life makes it the ideal place to explore a healthy untouched environment. Continue Reading →