Visit to Laos, 17 - 26 July 2008 (edited)
Hootoksi Tyabji, Shah Alam, 2008
Spectacular scenery, green fields, mountains, picturesque villages, rivers large and small, beautiful temples, women weaving silk, friendly faces, laughing eyes, monks with begging bowls and people waiting at dawn to feed them, sticky rice, roasted dragon flies on bamboo sticks, boats and ferries, and little known archaeological treasures are just some of the images of Laos that will stay with us forever.
Our journey began in Vientiane, the tiny, laid back capital city and the ride from the airport to it took under ten minutes at rush hour! Over the Internet we had pre-booked a car and driver and they were at the airport to meet us. Later we were joined by Sung, our young guide who spoke English with an American accent. He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and by embracing Christianity, his entire family was taken to the US by missionaries who helped settle them and even arranged green cards for them. When he was 12, he returned home to Laos along with his father, one sister and a brother. His mum and another sister continue to live in the US. Sung is happily married with a young child and enjoys his work as a freelance tourist guide.
Vientiane is situated on the northern bank of the Mekong river. Across the water one can see Thailand and all along the banks are stalls selling food and drink and offering beautiful views especially at sunset. It is a great place to explore on foot or on bicycle, quaint little streets with small shops, great restaurants and absolutely no traffic jams!
We spent 10 days in Laos and most of that time we drove north through the countryside. We stopped at will, experiencing markets, spectacular waterfalls, ethnic minority villages, saw women weaving in their homes, and Wats tucked away here and there besides the famous tourist sites that are a must for visitors to Laos. A Wat is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple found in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, East Shan State, and Yunnan province in Southwest China.
We were supposed to spend our second night at the Dok Khoun guesthouse on the banks of the Nam Song River in Vang Vieng (central Laos); but we couldn’t get there! It had been raining in the area for three days and the river was in full spate and there was a lot of flooding. There was no way we could get to our hotel let alone stay there and Sung had a hard time finding us alternative accommodation!
The following morning, we continued driving north and east to Xieng Khouang to visit the mysterious Plain of Jars. This is an archaeological site where hundreds of huge funerary stone jars are scattered across a vast plateau. I kept imagining spirits to jump out of them and dance around! as we walked among the jars we come across large craters made by American bombs in yet another senseless war.
In the north west of the country on the other side of the mountain range is Luang Prabang a quaint French colonial town situated dramatically in a loop of the Mekong river, with thickly forested mountains behind it. The town is now a World Heritage site. It was lovely walking around and seeing some of the beautiful old homes and temples. There is a lively night market where wonderful Lao handicrafts are sold by minority tribes, many of them dressed in their traditional costumes. There are lots of good restaurants with different kinds of cuisines to choose from, and hotels and quaint guest houses abound. It is also a city filled with wats and temples of which we saw several of the best according to Sung and our guidebook. We also spent half a day in a longboat on the mighty Mekong River, and visited some caves in the limestone mountains along the shore.
On day six we flew to Pakse in the south of the country and then took a boat to the Khong Islands. From Pakse we took a local ferry to Champesak. The ferry was like nothing I have ever seen before. It comprised three steel hulls bolted together with a large wooden platform to carry cars and people across the river. Motorcycles are ferried separately in small wooden longboats lashed together.
In Champesak we explored the temple complex of Wat Phu. This probably pre-dates Angkor Wat and is not as large but equally beautiful. There are both Hindu and Buddhist carvings to explore and the entire site is set among nature’s bounty making it a very peaceful, inspiring and serene place. It was one of the highlights of our trip!
The Khong Islands were beautiful, and we explored some of the Si pan don (4000 islands) where the Mekong is at its widest, during the rainy season. When the waters recede thousands of small islands emerge. As we were sailing along, each of us immersed in our own thoughts our guide said "There is a place called Ban Hang Khon where, if you are lucky, you can see the freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins. The best place to watch them is from across the way in Cambodia. Would you like to go?"
Our enthusiasm almost tipped the boat, but we were concerned that we did not have our passports with us nor did we have visas for Cambodia and so how could we enter in? This was not considered a problem at all and we soon found ourselves being helped off the boat on Cambodian soil. There was a small "official" hut, a tall flagpole proudly flying the Cambodian flag but there was no official manning the hut, just a makeshift tea stall! In it were several men sitting around tables shooting the breeze. They welcomed us and we sat among and waited with bated breath, squinting in the midday sun, our eyes glued to the river searching for the elusive dolphins!
Imagine our joy at seeing not one, but what looked like three separate pods of dolphins frolicking in the waters before us! They surprised and delighted us every time they emerged with a whoosh and a splash. They have long snouts and were surprisingly large, like the marine dolphins we had seen in Yemen and California.
On the boat ride back to Khong, I realized that I had just lived my dream of traveling from one country to the next without official papers! No borders, no officious Immigration officers only welcoming smiles and dolphins and the sounds of the river. A fitting end to a memorable visit to Laos.
In conclusion, Laos was a rare treat for us. It was the most naturally beautiful and unspoiled country we have ever visited. We were delighted with the genuine friendliness of the people we came across in the towns, markets, villages and in the countryside. We were never pressured to buy anything, even in the markets! The traffic, noise, bustle, and pollution that we take for granted in Asia were totally lacking, even in the capital Vientiane and on the country’s main highway, the Mekong River. Laos was a place we fell in love with!
More photos on Flickr - click to view..
For details of the trip, please see my travel notes below.
In Vientiane: Wat Sisaket - the oldest Wat in Vientiane
Wat Prakeo - former royal temple
That Luang Stupa - place of pilgrimage and worship
Patuxay Monument or Victory gate
Talat Sao - Morning market
Stayed at the Lao Orchid Hotel by the river, centrally located.
Traveled by road to Van Vieng, a small town on Nam Song River. Fabulous scenery with limestone outcrops and beautiful vistas and mountains. River flooded, so could not stay at Dok Khoun Guesthouse.
By road further north to Xieng Khouang (Phonsavan) site of the famous Plain of Jars.
Old capital city of Moung Khoun Province
Stayed at Villa Ban - room overlooking paddy fields.
By road to Luang Prabang (7 hour drive, stopped off to see hill tribe villages, markets, Khum Bome (village devastated by American bombing) Thampra (Buddha images more than 200 years old) Hmong villages, always along the side of the road forming a ridge, rather than set further afield. We distributed pens, pencils and sweets to the children.
Stopped for tea at Sala Phoukhoun where we were able to take fabulous photos of the breathtaking mountain scenery.
Luang Prabang (2 nights). Woke up at crack of dawn to feed the monks. They filed past us with their begging bowls in hand. They walk all over the town and are fed by the people every day. What each monk collects is divided and shared by all. This is an ancient tradition followed in Laos to this day.
Visited the National Museum, previously the royal palace.
Wat Visoun – the city's oldest
Wat Xienthong - best example of the classical architecture of Luang Prabang
Boat to Tam Ting Cave - 1000 Buddha statues
Ban Xanghai - village famous for distilling rice alcohol
Kuangsi Waterfall and stopped en route at Ban Na Oune, a Hmong village and Ban Tha Pane, a small Khmu village.
Wat Siphputhabath - saw footprints of Buddha
Stayed at Villa Treasure a beautiful small hotel walking distance to the town center.
Flew to Pakse and took local ferry to Champasak.
Visited fabulous site of Wat Phu - 4’th century Khmer Empire.
Scenic drive and boat ride to Don Khong island, one of the larger ones which is permanently inhabited.
Explored it on foot and had a wonderful fish dinner in one of the many restaurants along the river. Stayed at the Don Khong hotel.
Explored the Si Pan Don (4000 island area) by boat and saw the wonderful Irrawaddy dolphins from Ban Hang Khon (in Cambodia)
Drove to Pakse town (not worth a vist. Stayed at Pakse Hotel (mediocre accommodation and food)
Flew to Vientiane, overnight at Lao Orchid and back to KL.b We have flown AirAsia many times. It's obvious that the airline is constantly improving itself - better ground management, friendly, efficient in-flight service and greatly improved timeliness.
Our tour was booked through Treasure Travels, Mr Odd Khounpasert Siphanthong (Deputy managing director); website: www.treasuretravellaos.com, tel 856 71 254403.
The van, drivers and hotel arrangements were particularly good. The guides were helpful, courteous, and friendly but some could benefit by brushing up their knowledge of the country's history, geography and economy. One should avoid discussing politics with the guides as this could put them at odds with government rules.