Blogs from North, Laos, Asia - page 14

Luang Nam Ta et le Parc National de Nam Ha: 3 jours de randonnee dans la jungle... read more

I know it's again been a long time since I have posted a blog. We have joined this tour group and they keep us hopping daily and then there is the excuse about just being too lazy when I do have some time. Anyway here is our first week in Laos I hope you enjoy..... we certainly are. Saturday - January 29, 2011 We woke up early as today was the day we started our Stray Tour.  We had asked for a wake up call and as the receptionist smiled, bowed and took our room number I bet Rene that there would be no call.  We were both awake before 6:00am. Just as I thought 6:00 came and went and when we left our room to check out, there was still no wake up call.  Another ... read more

On Thursday we traveled from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong to cross the border into Laos, to a place called Huay Xai. This was all fairly straight forward, as was getting our Laos Visa. Despite Thailand only being a stones throw away, Laos definitely has its own style. The French influence is so apparent. From the architecture to the food. Baguettes are readily available here,just as Thai green curry and massages were in Thailand. However both countries have ample markets (yeah) and temples. Laos people are so friendly and everywhere you go you see kids playing with each other (sometimes along the roadsides, which is a bit scary) and families working together making a living. The traditional Laos food is good, although very very spicy at times. There are plenty of cafes and bakeries and stalls ... read more

I hope you're all managing to read the blog - sorry about the lack of photos but connections are not so good! E-mail or leave me a comment so I know I;m not wasting my time!!! Fast forwards to Wednesday and we’re in Luang Nantha in the north of Laos. Checking on the map, this is as far north as we venture and it’s within a day’s drive of both the China and Burma borders. Due east is Vietnam but that’s a bit further away. It’s noticeably cooler here in the evening and long sleeves are a good idea for the mossies as well because they don’t seem bothered by the cooler air. I walked back from town at dusk in shorts and I’ve got 6 bites on my legs to prove it! I don’t think ... read more

On Dec 2 we traveled from Chaing Rai in Thailand to Huay Xai in Laos. The Mekong River is the border and there is no bridge so after we left Thailand we took a motorized canoe across the river to Laos. Getting the visa for Laos took about 45 minutes but was uneventful. Interestingly, the prices for the Laos visas were posted and payable in US dollars only. Our plan at that time was to take a two day boat trip down the Mekong to Luang Prabang. A man right outside of the Immigration office offered to sell us boat tickets to Luang Prabang for 270,000 kip (270KK = $34). Just a few feet up the street we were offered the same trip at a travel agency for 250KK. Once on the main drag we found ... read more