Tag: Luang Prabang Travel View All Tags
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Chase Temple Ruins And Hammock Lounging With A Cold Laotian Beer
Even though the recession has hampered exotic travel, there are still those intrepid explorers going all out. All this week, our Cambodian embed Claire will share experiences from her trip to Laos.
Southern Laos more closely resembles its neighbors, with a flatter, rice-paddy covered landscape. Here, main attractions include Wat Phu Champasak, temple ruins in a stunning setting and Si Phan Don, the 4,000 islands, a mid-river delta in the Mekong.
Wat Phu Champasak, an ancient Angkorian temple built into a hillside, is about two hours south of Pakse by sangtheaw. The infrastructure here, and the tourism machine, deteriorates slightly, leaving more options for independent travel alongside Lao people. We rode in a truck with a week’s supply of produce and several old ladies who helped us understand prices and figure out our route, all without any ability to truly speak to each other.
Tags: Laos Field Trip / Laos Travel / Luang Prabang Travel / Jaunted Field Trips / → All Tags
Buffalo Slim Jims And Waterfall Swims In Laos
Even though the recession has hampered exotic travel, there are still those intrepid explorers going all out. All this week, our Cambodian embed Claire will share experiences from her trip to Laos.
When we arrived in Luang Prabang, we wondered if the plane had changed course somewhere and instead landed in a small town on the coast of Maine. Only the occasional Lao and the mountains in the distance told me otherwise.
Though considered the cultural capital of Laos, Luang Prabang is also called “falang city” by Lao people because of the ubiquity of tourists there. "Falang" means French, which thanks to colonialism is the ascribed nationality of all foreigners in this part of the world. And perhaps only through sheer Communist might does it still manage to retain its quiet charm, with an 11pm curfew staving off any debauchery.
Tags: Laos Field Trip / Laos Travel / Luang Prabang Travel / Asia Travel / → All Tags
Heading To Laos To Discover The Best Of Indochina
Even though the recession has hampered exotic travel, there are still those intrepid explorers going all out. All this week, our Cambodian embed Claire will share experiences from her trip to Laos.
Gentle, quiet Laos exceeds all expectations, from its limestone mountains to meandering rivers and ethnic minority villagers whose outfits are so intricate and lovely they could pass as a winter collection at Fashion Week in Bryant Park. And Laos’ appeal comes without the drawbacks of traveling through its neighbor countries—Vietnam has too many tourists, double goes for Thailand, and the charm of Cambodia’s underdevelopment and unpaved roads wears thin after a 12-hour minibus ride with 18 butts to 10 seats.
Recently I traveled the length of the country, flying to Luang Prabang, then lacing south by bus toward Cambodia, stopping in Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Champasak, and Si Phan Don. This week, I will share tips on how to best explore Indochina's least-visited and loveliest country.
