Dear friends,

Laos was the last spot in my Indo China map, which I have not visited. Encouraged by a well-seasoned back- packer friend, we set off for Laos from 22.12.04 to 5.1.2005.

With our backpacks, a few info print outs from the Internet and “some” US $ we boarded a night-bus from Bangkok to Vientiane, with no bookings ahead of us.

For the entire 14 days, we have to be on the move from early morning to evening. So, to organise transportation was the main task. An 8-seated Minibus was luxury already. But the use of “tuk-tuk” (three-wheeler), boat, ferry, hired motorbike (5 US$ a day) and, of course, walking were the main means of getting around.

Accommodation was no problem in the four places we stayed. There are plenty of budget back-packers guesthouses. The cost was 5 to 17 US$ per night for both of us. However this kind of accommodation is very basic; sometimes a white bare room with two hard but clean beds. That’s all.

Even easier, was getting food. The menu (about 70 US cents) is very simple. It was either noodle soup or fried rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 14 days. Well, actually it was not so bad. We also had a barbequed Mekong fish several times and a hot pot twice.

The Laotians are a very pleasant people. They are soft spoken, not noisy (compared to some Chinese or drunken Western tourists) and always smiling. Everything is easy and slow going. General there is very little traffic, even in the capital, Vientiane. In the lowland rural areas, families live in simple wooden houses on stilts. The hill tribe people have even more primitive huts, actually one room made from bamboo and the walls from woven leaves.

The mother of all waters, the Mekong, is vital to Laos. The river marks nearly the entire Western and Southern borders with neighbouring countries of China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. It is the main transport route for goods and people throughout the country. The Mekong gives enough drainage to paddy fields and vegetable farms along the river and its tributaries.

Besides the flat landscape around Vientiane, we experienced a very hilly terrain in the north. Main trunk roads have been paved only. There were thousands of bends and endless ups and downs to ridges and into valleys. A distance of 200 km can take a whole day’s travelling. Vomiting bags are supplied!

Vientiane is the capital of Laos but it looks more like a sleeping hollow. It is flanked by the majestic Mekong. Along the river, the houses are built in French colonial style. A lot of open-air restaurants are also set up here and the attraction is the daily sunset across the Mekong.

The town landmark is a huge Victory Monument, also called “Arc de Triomphe”.

The golden That Luang Stupa is the nation’s most cultural monument.

There are a lot of well-preserved temples and 30 km away from the city is a Buddha park.

Travelling 150 km to the North, is Vang Vieng. This tourist Mecca has sprung up because of the gorgeous Nam Song River and the magnificent karst limestone mountains lining it. For action and adventure, there are caves to explore, trekking, kayaking and rafting trips. To chill out and enjoy the scenery, a tyre inner tube can be hired, to float down the river basking in the beauty of the countryside. We did it all.

In the North East corner of the country, close to Vietnam lie Phonsavan.  It is famous for two reasons. Firstly, the area (Ho Chi Minh trail) was one of the most heavily bombed in Laos during the Vietnam War and most probably it is also the most bombed country in the world. Today the region is littered with unexploded ordinance (UXO) and the evidence is everywhere.

Secondly, the province is the site of the mysterious Plain Of Jars. Several areas around Phonsavan are clustered with thousands of large stone vessels. The jars vary in size from 1 to 3 meters high and up to 2.7 meters in diameter with the heaviest jar weighting 6 tons. The purpose of the jars, carved from solid rock around 3000 years ago, remains a mystery, inciting international debate.

The surrounding mountains are home to several tribes of indigenous people with their colourful traditional clothes and simple way of life.

Located in the northern Laos, Luang Prabang is nestled in a valley, surrounded by high mountains and situated along the Mekong and its tributaries.

Luang Prabang is renowned as the cultural and religious capital of Laos. In 1955 UNESCO inscribed the town on to its World Heritage List, ensuring the preservation of a mixture of traditional Lao and French colonial architecture.

The magnificent temples are considered among the most beautiful in South East Asia.

Mekong upstream, accessible by boat only, nestled in a cliff, we visited the sacred Tham Ting Cave. These underground sanctuaries have been venerated for centuries where thousands of Buddha statues are housed.

Two waterfalls draw our attention, the Tad Sae, with it three limestone steps and the more impressive Tad Kouang Si.

Back to Luang Prabang we strolled through the brick-plastered romantically illuminated side lanes. We had a delicious dinner at a riverbank restaurant. A charcoal operated Mongolian hot pot kept us warm and the sunset painted the sky and the “Mother of all waters” golden.

What a fantastic trip.

Dirk and Jenny