JOIN USWhen one thinks of holidaying in Southeast Asia, images of white sandy beaches and paradisiacal islands in Thailand or Indonesia instantly come to mind. Then there is of course Cambodia, with its monumental Angkor sites, and more recently, Vietnam. I, however, decided to go on a more intrepid trip, and chose the lesser-known Laos. A week in this lush country, and I was hungry for more, as the sites and activities on offer in this little landlocked sliver throw up myriad possibilities.
A simple life
The first thing that struck me here was the laidback attitude of people. Smiling faces greeted me with a cheerful sabaidee everywhere I went, and very little seemed to ruffle their feathers. A delayed bus or bad weather are inconveniences that don’t bother the friendly Lao folk. I could sense that mass tourism hadn’t arrived here yet, and this was one of the reasons for my visit. Laos stretches from China and Myanmar in the north to Cambodia in the south, with Thailand and Vietnam bordering it on either side. The great Mekong river flows all along this strip of land in Indochina, making it a constant geographical feature that accompanies you all through the country. I decided to stick to the classic trail between the capital Vientiane and northern Luang Prabang, but soon realised that a week would not do justice to this gorgeous country.
Vientiane is home to less than a million of Laos’s 7 million people. Located close to the border with Thailand, its main sites can be covered in a day or two. I first headed to Wat Si Saket to see its 7,000 Buddha statues, most of which sit in niches in the walls of its complex. I then crossed the road to Ho Phra Keo, which once housed the highly-revered Emerald Buddha that has found permanent residence in Bangkok’s Royal Palace. Ho Phra Keo is now a museum, and contains some impressive wooden, metal and stone statues of the Buddha in different postures. Large statues can be found outside the intricately-decorated outer walls.
A few kilometres away is a monument called Patuxai. Reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but far less impressive, it was built using cement meant for the construction of the city’s airport! Beyond this concrete structure is the national monument of Laos — Pha That Luang. The golden, lotus bud-shaped building is home to Buddha’s collar bone. My most bizarre visit though, was to Xieng Khouane, where a park, full of weird concrete statues of Hindu and Buddhist divinities, has turned into a tourist attraction. Buddha Park is situated outside Vientiane at the border with Thailand. After a day of temple-hopping, I walked through the night market along the Mekong, where cheap clothes, cellphone accessories and a few handicraft items were being hawked.
From Vientiane, I took a minibus to Vang Vieng, around 3 to 4 hours north. In its heyday, Vang Vieng was synonymous with debauchery and hedonism, with backpackers coming here to party, and drugs and alcohol flowing as freely as the town’s green Song river. Luckily though, the government has cleaned up the place, and its notorious past is hardly visible. The main attraction here was tubing, which involves sitting in a tyre’s inner tube and floating down the Nam Song, while stopping at different bars for drinking games. Today, this is just one of the plethora of exciting activities like kayaking, caving, trekking, biking and zip-lining that are available here.
Vang Vieng’s setting is spectacular. The Nam Song is lined by limestone karst mountains rising dramatically out of the green rice fields. I decided to spend the day biking, and rented a bicycle for $2.5. After gorging on a baguette sandwich, I rode across the Nam Song over a wooden bridge onto a bumpy track to Tham Phu Kham, a huge cave with a turquoise stream next to it called the “Blue Lagoon”. After exploring the dark, cavernous halls with stalactites and stalagmites of Phu Kham, I couldn’t resist taking a seemingly never-ending plunge from a tree branch into the cool, refreshing waters of the pool.
I continued my ride with fellow travellers through the scenic landscape, occasionally greeting friendly children returning home from school. The day ended with an unforgettable sunset behind the mountains. As the orange ball dipped into the horizon, I noticed wispy black smoke floating across the landscape. Upon closer inspection, I realised that they were bats, in their thousands, flying out of their caves!
Untouched beauty
Travelling north from Vang Vieng along breathtaking landscapes led me to Luang Prabang, the jewel of Laos, and perhaps of Southeast Asia. As a UNESCO heritage city, its shimmering temples and colonial buildings are extremely well preserved. The city is a peninsula surrounded by the Nam Khan and the Mekong river on each side, which ultimately meet at its tip. A small park has been built at the confluence. Luang Prabang has inherited France’s café culture, and it’s a great place to get a good French meal, apart from delicious noodle soups, khao soi, larb, grilled meat, kanom krok or coconut rice cakes and fiery tum maak hoong or raw papaya salad.
In Luang Prabang’s Royal Palace complex is a museum and a beautiful temple with the Prabang Buddha, which lends its name to the city. The other main temple is Wat Xieng Thong, whose roof dips so low that it nearly touches the ground. In fact, people in northern Laos say that their temples are like mother hens cradling their chicks in their wings. After visiting these temples, I trekked up the 100-metre Mount Phousi in the city centre, offering amazing views of Luang Prabang and its mountainous environs. Just walking through this town, admiring its charming architecture and its chic boutiques is a pleasure in itself. At night, the main Sisavangvong Road is transformed into an atmospheric market, with Hmong tribal women setting up stalls to sell intricately-embroidered handicrafts. I decided to sample the mouth-watering Laotian fare sold at several food stalls.
Apart from these attractions, the countryside around Luang Prabang has incredible waterfalls like Tat Kuang Si and Tat Sae. I chose to go to Tat Kuang Si, where I entered the site at a bear rescue centre and arrived at an unbelievable blue pool. As I made my way up through the forest, I saw water cascading down travertines forming more incredible pools. After a 10-minute walk came the crescendo — from the upper reaches of the forest, milky water came crashing down, as visitors admired this miracle of nature from a wooden bridge built across yet another pool.
With more time, it is possible to trek in the mountains in northern Laos and visit Hmong and Khmu tribal villages. In the south, the Mekong shatters the land into 4,000 islands at Si Phan Don, near the border with Cambodia. The list is endless! The incredible landscapes, beautiful people and delectable cuisine left an indelible mark on me.
Fact file
Best time to visit
The temperatures are pleasant during the high season (November–March), although cold in the mountains.
Travel during the shoulder season (July & August) to enjoy lower hotel costs, small crowds and still be in with a good chance of excellent weather, especially in Luang Prabang.
What to eat
Klao niaw (sticky rice), laap (meat salad), Tam mak houng (papaya salad), Oh lam (stew) and French-inspired food.
Shopping
Laos is an excellent destination for anyone interested in picking up elaborate handicrafts. Hill-tribe silks, arts, crafts, home-furnishings, jewellery and couture quality textiles dominate the market.