The bottom of Laos

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So, it turned out that Pakse was not worth writing a blog for! Actually a small town with not a lot happening. The museum that is open daily, was shut, it rained, and after seeing many wats, there were just more of the same!

So, instead I shall tell you about how we got out of Laos and into the North of Cambodia en route to Siem Reap...

We left Pakse early in the morning and took a bumpy bus to the riverside, where we boarded a very small, wobbly boat to the 4000 Islands (Si Phan Don), well, one of them! Dong Det to be precise. The boat slid it's way onto a muddy river bank where we slid onto the shores of Dong Det! We found a lovely little bungalow for about 80p each for the night, right on the river bank with a balcony, hammocks and all. I guess the catch was that the window was a sheet, and there was no light bulb inside!

We went for a lovely walk, and really enjoyed the feel of the island. There were rice paddies all around, and not too many people. A very rural, but peaceful place. We enjoyed a couple of hours in our hammocks and then ventured for some dinner, just before the enormous storm hit - it rained for hours, and the lightning was on and off as well. It was so muddy on our walk back that Ben gave me a piggy back!

I'd recommend a stop off at one of the 4000 islands, especially after the towns of Vientiane and Pakse. It was a nice way to end our time in Laos, and felt much more like the real Laos.

One thing to note....change your US dollars here, or earlier for Cambodia, and there are no ATMs on the islands.

J x x

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